Letter: Early Education Narrows the Achievement Gap
Letter to New York Times - July 16, 2009The achievement gap in math and reading forms long before students take standardized tests in 4th grade (Racial Gap in Testing Sees Shift by Region, July 15). Researchers have found that, by age 4, low-income children are already 18 months behind their more advantaged peers. Without engaged parents and stimulating environments starting at birth, at-risk children enter kindergarten behind academically and struggle to catch up.
The best way to narrow the achievement gap is to prevent it from forming. High-quality early childhood programs, such as preschool, Head Start, and Early Head Start, can level the playing field for low-income children and prepare them for success throughout their school years. But these programs are often underfunded and reach only a small percentage of eligible children.
Until we acknowledge the critical role that the birth-to-five years play in shaping a child's success in school, we will continue to see wide racial and economic disparities in student achievement.
Diana Mendley Rauner, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Ounce of Prevention Fund